Patchwork of Dakota pipeline protests across US encouraged

BISMARCK, N.D. — The front lines of the battle against the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline are shifting away from the dwindling encampment in North Dakota, with main opposing groups asking for activism to be spread around the U.S., a call heeded when a banner was unfurled during an NFL game on New Year’s Day.

The message also has evolved from a struggle against a single four-state pipeline to an effort to advance the rights of American Indians, the leader of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe says.

The protest actions that have popped up, other than the banner drop at a Minnesota Vikings game, include a demonstration at the Jan. 2 Rose Parade in Pasadena, bank protests from New York to California and protests of other pipelines in Texas, Florida and Louisiana.

The demonstrations in other states are examples of how Dakota Access protests are helping highlight broader issues of concerns to American Indians, such land rights under old treaties with the federal government and the need for state and federal governments to better consult with tribes when it comes to infrastructure projects that affect them, Goldtooth said.